A huge thanks to the 197 partners who made this 12th Annual Open House Day one of our best ever! Museums, historic sites, cultural centers, art studios, adventure parks, campgrounds, B&Bs and restaurants all benefitted from our statewide PR, digital and social media promotion. Overall, these efforts generated:
New CTvisit.com Driving Thousands of Leads to Partners
Need any more motivation to optimize your free listing on the state’s tourism website and provide us with information we can feature? Check out these impressive stats from May!
Website visits are up at least 33% over this time last year.
~50% of site traffic comes through a website article.
One out of every two site visitors views a partner listing.
Half of those who visit a partner listing actually contact that partner(call, email, click on website and/or booking links).
Today’s travelers are hungry for culinary experiences. So we’ve added an “EAT” section to our main website menu and dedicated an entire section to culinary experiences. Plus we’re promoting our dining options through PR, social media and digital marketing.
But we need more restaurant listings to feed the demand! Encourage any restaurant you know to take advantage of their complimentary listing on the state’s official tourism website — visited by over 3 million residents and tourists each year.
To start the process, all they have to do is complete a short online “New Partner Application Form.” Or email us with any questions.
Love Connecticut? We’d love for you to join us at our Big E Tourism Booth in the Connecticut Building! As a volunteer Connecticut Ambassador, you’ll share your favorite places to visit and help distribute information. Shifts available every day from Sept. 16 to Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sign-ups are on first-come-first-serve basis (three volunteers per shift). Admission/parking tickets will be provided as we near the event date. But inquire now about volunteering. Email us with your address, phone number and the day(s) you wish to work.
Our team is already pitching fall stories and writing fall web articles. Here are just three ways you can leverage our efforts to magnify your reach.
Best Fall Vantage Points. Tell us why your location should be in our round-up of stunning places to view fall foliage via various modes of transportation (by car, bike, boat, hike, motorcycle).
Innovative Fall Experiences. Update us on any truly innovative, must-do fall experiences you’re offering.
Haunted Connecticut. Give us the background on attractions, hotels, public spaces thought to be haunted in your area.
The Connecticut Office of Tourism joined in celebrating the 275th anniversary of Lyman Orchards — one of our state’s premier tourist destinations and a leader in agri-tourism. Christine Castonguay, Connecticut’s Director of Branding, also presented a proclamation from the Governor to mark the occasion.
Over the past five decades, the Lyman family has been instrumental in strengthening the economic vitality of the region — and growing the state’s $14 billion tourism industry.
One of Connecticut’s newest attractions is also the first law museum of any kind in the United States.
Founded by well-known Connecticut native Ralph Nader, the American Museum of Tort Law in Winsted, spotlights significant civil cases that have had a major impact on consumer protection law. Connecticut Director of Tourism, Randy Fiveash, visited the museum recently to extend all of our best wishes for its continued success.
Attracting Future Visitors at International Trade Show
Connecticut was well represented at the travel industry’s largest international trade show in New Orleans, June 19-22. This show brings together more than 1,300 buyers from over 70 countries to spur travel to the United States.
In addition to handling general requests, Susan Henrique and Janet Ser ra se cured 4 0 appointments with tour operators and journalists from China, the UK and Germany. The new Aer Lingus service into Bradley Airport was of particular interest to European-based tour operators!
